Her Last Letter
by FandaticForeverAndAlways
Summary: He lost his family during the war. He never really understood the reasons why his mother left him when she had a choice to stay back with him. He often wondered if he wasn't enough. But when his mother's letter reached him after few years, Teddy Lupin understood.


**Disclaimer: JKR owns it all!**

**Written for Apprentice Competition – **Prompts: Character – Teddy Lupin. Character: N. Tonks. Word: Glory. Dialogue: What do you think? Quote: I'd rather be hated for who I'm, than be loved for who I'm not.

**Written for Book-Quotes Boot Camp – **Prompt11: Courage is the quality most essential to understand the Language of the World. – The Alchemist.

**Written for Character Diversity Boot Camp – **Prompt10: Tears, N. Tonks.

**Written for Head Canon Boot Camp – **Prompt20: Funeral

**Written for Movie Quotes Boot Camp – **Prompt8: _Love means never having to say you're sorry. (Love Story, 1970)_

**Written for Writing Script Boot Camp – **Prompt12:

**Written for Television Boot Camp – **Prompt13: "Life only really has one beginning and one end, and the rest is just a whole lot of middle." – Glee.

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**Her Last Letter**

"It's the right thing – it has to be done."

Andromeda Tonks stared at her daughter, taking in her fierceness. She knew that agreeing to her might result in losing her daughter – but she couldn't bring it in her heart to stop her. For she very well understood Nymphadora's reasons and knew that she would have done the same had she been in her daughter's place.

"What do you think, Mum?" Nymphadora asked, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Go, I'll take care of him." Both the women looked at the sleeping blue haired boy lying in the cradle. Nymphadora picked him up and rocked him gently in her arms.

"I love you, Teddy. I love you so much," she whispered, placing a gentle kiss on the baby boy's forehead. She laid the baby back in the cradle, and turned toward her mother.

"Thank you, Mum." Her voice was sad but determined. Andromeda simply nodded, she didn't have any words to acknowledge her daughter's sacrifice.

"Give this to him, will you? If I don't return . . . When he's old enough to understand," Nymphadora said, handing her a envelope.

"I will," Andromeda agreed, tears brimming in her eyes. She reached out to hug the younger woman in front of her. She wanted to say many words but restrained because she knew that they would sound like a goodbye. And she was not ready to lose her daughter, not yet.

"Be safe," she whispered in Nymphadora's ear. She didn't get any reply, but the hug only got tighter and lasting. If only . . .

* * *

_Dear Teddy,_

_The first time I held you in my arms it felt like my heart had exploded into joy and happiness. It was in that moment that I knew that my ability to love and contain that love had only just increased by a million times. I had never even dreamt that such love would even be possible, but when I laid my eyes on your innocent and beautiful face . . . I just knew, sweetheart. _

_"Our little miracle," your father had said. I had never seen such joy on his face before, and it was the first time I saw him cry too. Remus, your father, went through a lot of bad moments and there were many a time when it felt like he and I wouldn't be able to make our relationship work, and I always waited for the moment for him to realize and leave, but after seeing him cry in happiness, I also saw something else on his face – content. I knew then that I had to stop waiting for that horrid moment, and that Remus would never leave us, because he had truly accepted his future. _

_You my baby are my first born, my child, a part of me and the man I love. The moment I saw you, the moment I heard your cries, the moment I saw you smile at me as if you recognized me . . . you had completely won over me. I didn't need to promise out loud that I would love you unconditionally and protect you no matter what. Because some promises don't need to be said out loud, they are just implied and felt. _

_Yes, I promised that I would protect you and it is time to fulfill my promise. I know that there will be times when you will question my actions and probably hate me for them. I know it'll seem preposterous to you. I won't hold you out for your thoughts because I know they will be valid and real enough._

_I also know that there will be many people who'll tell you that your parents (if neither Remus nor I survive) were brave and courageous! What they did, and the reasons they entered the fight for – it might be partly true, but the biggest reason, I don't know if they will be able to explain it to you. Or the fact that you will understand._

_To understand our reasons, Teddy, you have to understand the state we are in. I hope you never get to see them, of course. But I will try to explain it best. There has always been fear – fear of your own life or the life of your loved ones. Ever since there has been a possibility that we can actually defeat the Dark Side things have gotten even worse. And now, something feels more permanent and it feels like it's finally going to end. If this is the only way to get rid of it and make our, your future untainted – then I am willing to sacrifice my life for it. I don't want my son to ever grow up and be a part of the surroundings we are in. I want you to be in a happy place and in a safe place – both of us do. _

_Your father not being a part of the fight – there was never going to be a chance of it, darling. He has been condemned and held down far too long to sit still and away from the action. But mostly, I think and I know for sure that his reasons for being a part of it are more for you than for himself. How the world will look at you just because you are a part of him has always been his greatest fear. He doesn't want his son to be hurt the same way as he was, he wants you have the opportunities and life that he never did. He hasn't told me any of this, but I know that these are his reasons. _

_I have a choice to stay back, love. I do . . . and as I look at your angelic face – giggling and changing the color of your hair – it's breaking my heart. I don't want to leave you, but this is something that I have to do! I can't just sit back here and wait – wait for things to get better or for them to get worse. I can't do that, Teddy. I can't! As much as it breaks my heart I am yearning to join the war – just to do my part in making your future safe. _

_I hope you never will have to read this letter. I hope that either Remus or I will be there for you when it's over. I hope that, I do. But I am not going to leave you without any closure either. There is a huge possibility that I will never return to you, and this is the only way I can tell you how much I love you. _

_I love you, Teddy Remus Lupin. I wish I could be there for your future, but do know – I might not be there physically, but I have never left you. I will be in your heart, and I will be in your thoughts, and I will forever love you. . _

_We will forever love you. _

_I know I could have stayed with you and taken care of you, but I don't want you to love me for someone I am not. This is where my heart lays Teddy; this is how I want to take care of you._

_Lots of love,_

_Mum. _

Nineteen years had passed; it had been few years back when his mother's goodbye had been given to Teddy Lupin. And since then, he had read and reread her words innumerable times.

At first, he had been apprehensive and unwilling to read it. But his curiosity and want had gotten the best out of him. He had read the letter, and he had cried like a baby.

The parchment was crumpled and yellow with the passage of time, Teddy moved his fingers across it. His mother had once touched it; it was his only connection to her. It was (and would remain) as the only one that he shared with her.

"I don't hate you, Mum. I love you – I love you both so much . . ." His voice trailed.

She was right – as much as he had wanted to hate them for leaving him alone, he never could and he never did. They were being his parents after all . . . this letter was more than a proof to their actions.

He didn't hold them responsible for it.

His parents were brave, and what they did was glorious. They were war heroes. Unfortunately, they had been a casualty in the war. Yes, he could have hated them. But he loved them more. He loved them for standing true to themselves. They were dead but never gone.

As his mother had written, they were alive in his heart and in his thoughts.

And they would forever continue to be. Teddy folded the parchment neatly, placed it in the Mokeskin bag (a hand-me-down from his Godfather, Harry) and hung it around his neck, close to his heart.

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**AN: Ever since I saw the prompts, I have had this idea in my head – but since college has vowed to make my life hell, I can't write it down until the last minute. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading this. **

**Please do review, it means a lot to me. =)**


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